Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram   

Pattom-Murinjapalam Road to be metalled soon

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM June 18. Even as several important roads in the State capital remain out of bounds for traffic due to ongoing digging and reconstruction work, the Government has in principle decided to impose controls on the granting of permission in future for the digging up of important roads for cable laying and drainage improvement.

The decision in this regard was taken at a high-level meeting convened here today to by the PWD Minister, M. K. Muneer. The Additional Chief Secretary, Babu Jacob, and the Secretary, Lida Jacob, were among those present.

Digging work on important roads would be permitted only on condition that the work can be completed within a specified period. Once permission was granted for such work, digging would not be permitted again for a specified period. The functioning of the various agencies involved in roadwork would be coordinated to improve efficiency.

The metalling work on the Pottakkuzhy-Murinjapalam Road would be completed in three days. The road would be tarred after the surface hardened.

The delay in the resurfacing of this important road, which was dug up by the Kerala Water Authority for laying drainage pipes, is causing hardship to local residents and vehicle users.

The road had been thrown open to vehicular traffic without resurfacing on Monday and without informing the PWD.

Vehicular traffic, including KSRTC buses, were allowed along the stretch although the KWA contractor did not remove the earth dumped on the footpath. The contractor had also not taken steps to fill the dug up road properly and to fill the two major cuttings at Pottakkuzhy and near Murinjapalam.

The authorities have now barred traffic from Pottakkuzhy Junction to Murinjapalam by blocking the road to take up the work. The resurfacing is expected to be taken up only after the rains.

The Pattom-Pottakuzhy stretch of the road, which was also closed for laying of the drainage pipes by the KWA, has been thrown open for vehicular traffic after resurfacing. However, the newly constructed manholes along the stretch protrude dangerously above the road surface.

The earth around a newly constructed manhole near the entrance of the Milma Dairy had caved in within days of metalling and resurfacing.

A fissure several feet deep has developed at the spot. Although locals have kept a huge stone to warn motorists who pass through the stretch, the danger of motorists, especially two- wheelers, and pedestrians getting trapped in it is high. Hundreds of vehicles and pedestrians move daily through the stretch, on which schools and several offices are situated.

According to locals, the authorities are to be blamed for not properly filling the spot around the manhole. The danger of earth caving in around other manholes in the stretch is also high since the dug up area has not been properly filled with sand.

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